Identifying Moderators of the Link Between Parent and Child Anxiety Sensitivity: The Roles of Gender, Positive Parenting, and Corporal Punishment

Abstract

A substantial body of literature suggests that anxiety sensitivity is a risk factor for the development of anxiety problems and research has now begun to examine the links between parenting, parent anxiety sensitivity and their child’s anxiety sensitivity. However, the extant literature has provided mixed findings as to whether parent anxiety sensitivity is associated with child anxiety sensitivity, with some evidence suggesting that others factors may influence the association. Theoretically, specific parenting behaviors may be important to the development of child anxiety sensitivity and also in understanding the association between parent and child anxiety sensitivity. In this study, 191 families (n = 255 children and adolescents aged 6–17 and their parents) completed measures of child anxiety sensitivity (CASI) and parenting (APQ-C), and parents completed measures of their own anxiety sensitivity (ASI) and their parenting (APQ-P). Corporal punishment was associated with child anxiety sensitivity and the child’s report of their parent’s positive parenting behaviors moderated the association between parent and child anxiety sensitivity. The child’s gender was also found to moderate the association between parent and child anxiety sensitivity, such that there was a positive association between girls and parent anxiety sensitivity and a negative association in boys. The findings advance the understanding of child anxiety sensitivity by establishing a link with corporal punishment and by showing that the association between parent and child anxiety sensitivity may depend upon the parenting context and child’s gender.

An experimental test of the impact of adolescent anxiety on parental sick role reinforcement behavior

“…The CASI is an 18-item measure on which participants use a 3-point scale (1 = None , 2 = Some , 3 = A lot ) to answer questions such as “it scares me when my heart beats fast.” Items are summed to yield global AS level scores (Silverman et al, 1991; Wright, London, & Field, 2011). Prior work supports the validity and reliability of the CASI; the internal consistency estimate for the global factor from the current study also aligned with previously published work ( α = 0.74; Graham & Weems, 2015; Knapp et al, 2013).…”

The role of parental anxiety sensitivity and learning experiences in children's anxiety sensitivity

“…Some limitations on this study should be mentioned. First, several authors have shown that gender differences appear to be related to parental rearing practices, which differ for girls and boys (Ginsburg & Silverman, ; Graham & Weems, ; Muris et al ., ). In this study, the sample size was insufficient to conduct separate regression analyses for girls and boys.…”

“…There is some evidence of the potential parental contributions to child AS, but certain specific mechanisms might condition the relationship between child AS and parental factors (Francis & No€ el, 2010). For example, Graham and Weems (2015) observed that parenting behaviours (e.g., positive parenting: praise, compliments) moderate the association between parental and child AS. The parent's gender has been postulated to be a possible moderator of the association between parental factors and child AS (Francis & No€ el, 2010).…”

Corporal punishment and affect dysregulation in the perental role

“…In addition, corporal punishment is linked to the child's reduced sense of control over the situation, and to a reduced ability to control body reactions, which increases the feeling of anxiety. 52 Reduced control, which is transmitted to one's perception in adulthood, can increase impulsivity in raising children, thus allowing the increased use of corporal punishment.…”